I've made a couple templates for marching band over at https://musescore.org/en/node/111531. I was looking for your ideas on them. Specifically:1. How did your maching band handle percussion parts? Were they written with the wind parts, or were the parts that came with the arrangement usually re-written to suit your specific ensemble?2. For the "WGI" scores (which could also double as the percussion parts for a marching band that writes them separately), do you agree with my selection of instrumentation? It's clearly nuts to try to believe that there's any "standard" pit, but do I have good starting points for both?

Over in the discussion for one of my suggested new score templates (at https://musescore.org/en/node/111531), the question of what the usual writing process for pit parts is came up. If you have some perspective, I'd like to read it.Also, I have two templates WGI that could also be the templates for pit parts if you're in a marching band that usually writes their pit parts separately.

I've made a couple templates for marching band over at https://musescore.org/en/node/111531. I was looking for your ideas on them. Specifically:1. How did your maching band handle percussion parts? Were they written with the wind parts, or were the parts that came with the arrangement usually re-written to suit your specific ensemble?2. For the "WGI" scores (which could also double as the percussion parts for a marching band that writes them separately), do you agree with my selection of instrumentation? It's clearly nuts to try to believe that there's any "standard" pit, but do I have good starting points for both?Thanks!

I've made a couple templates for marching band over at https://musescore.org/en/node/111531. I was looking for your ideas on them. Specifically:1. How did your maching band handle percussion parts? Were they written with the wind parts, or were the parts that came with the arrangement usually re-written to suit your specific ensemble?2. For the "WGI" scores (which could also double as the percussion parts for a marching band that writes them separately), do you agree with my selection of instrumentation? It's clearly nuts to try to believe that there's any "standard" pit, but do I have good starting points for both?Thanks!

Hey guys, we need 100,000 signatures to make this an official holiday!!https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/establish-march-4th-national-marching-arts-day/dLVPm2p6By establishing March 4 as "National Marching Arts Day," we will celebrate the positive effects on young people and our society from lessons learned and life skills acquired through involvement with the unique collection activities which comprise the "marching arts."These activities includes marching bands, drum corps, drill teams, color guards, drum lines, step teams, string bands, pipe bands, fife and drum groups, military bands, ceremonial groups and other ensembles promoting music making, entertainment, cultural enrichment, self-confidence, leadership training, responsibility, competition, good sportsmanship and fun.

Hey, drum corps fans! I had an interesting idea. In light of all these challenges on MuseScore I thought of this game for all my current and aspiring arranger/transcriber/composer friends in this group. Drum corps is one of the easiest ensembles for amateurs to write for (no hate) so this is also a good gateway into composing if you know your stuff. I don't know squat about real music theory--never taken classes and rarely been taught any. I just have an affinity for it (and you can too!).

The idea is that you get some categories and you write a segment of a show based on those categories. Then everyone guesses what those restraints were and whoever gets it correct first gets to do the next round. Here's some comprehensive rules:

=THE RULES=

-Go to www.random.org and generate (this is called a "roll") a set of numbers (will elaborate if this carries through). That set of numbers dictates the following categories:1.) Time period (old school, Bb era, etc.)2.) Corps style (Bluecoats, Spirit, etc.)3.) Show section (closer, ballad, etc.)4.) Composer/Genre/Piece (Eric Whitacre, La Vie en Rose, etc.)5.) Strange twist (optional, just for fun)You pick THREE of the FIVE categories to follow. If you get a combination that reeaally doesn't work together or you get completely stumped what to write, you are allotted ONE re-roll of any category. This can only be done within the first 36 hours of the round (between 6:00PM (EST) Friday and 6:00AM (EST) Sunday). The remaining two categories you may choose to ignore or you can also do them for fun.

-THE SCORE MUST USE THE STOCK SOUNDFONT (FluidR3?). People won't want to find and download your special snowflake soundfont so they can listen. MuseScore is notation software, not specifically playback software. This will be a challenge in it of itself. You MAY write in Finale if you so choose; just know that it sounds very different with FluidR3. Also know that the conversion is more than just exporting/importing a compressed XML file.

-You have 7 full days, starting at 6:00PM (EST) on a Friday and ending at 5:59PM (EST) the next Friday. This includes writing time AND guessing time for the listeners. You can finish the piece in 4 hours or 6.5 days. The less time you take, the longer time they have to guess (and vice versa).

-When you are ready for the guessing to begin, title it whatever you'd like, upload it, and add it to the group. Start a discussion in this group announcing your completion: provide the title, link to the score, and the three categories you chose to accomplish. If you did more than three categories you still MUST choose THREE for the people to guess and reveal the extra one(s) you accomplished.

-Let the first person that guesses correctly know that they got it right by replying to them in the thread (make sure to keep an eye out on the thread so you don't miss it). Try and reply closest to 6:00PM (EST) on Friday as you can. Include their username, timestamp of when they guessed, and the results.

-Said person gets to do the next round. The following Friday at 6:00PM (EST) they will repeat this process. After you go, you are not allowed to guess the next round (to try and avoid two or three people going over and over).

-If no one correctly guesses, it defaults to the first person to guess at least two categories correctly. If none, first person to guess at least one category. If none, first person to guess at all. The show must go on.

-If there is a correct guess, the person who wrote the score may also submit at new "strange twist" to add to the list if they would like. If there was no correct guess, this rule does not apply.

-We would use the honor system heavily with this game. You cannot roll your numbers before Friday at 6:00PM (EST). You cannot "team up" and cheat so you can get the next round. You cannot collaborate. You cannot plagiarize. Use common sense. Be a nice, humble, self-accountable person :)

Notice I never said "winner" in this post. The goal is not a "winning" piece or to "be the winner" by spewing your knowledge everywhere. The goal is to have some fun writing, guessing, learning, and being a self-accountable and knowledgeable individual in the most humble way you can.

I am not an admin of this group so I don't know if I can even suggest this game. If you fans like this idea, let me know by replying. If the admin(s) of this page don't like it being here but I get lots of positive feedback I may start a separate group and enlist another admin or two to make sure it runs smoothly. I would love your replies and criticism as well :)

Hey, drum corps fans! I had an interesting idea. In light of all these challenges on MuseScore I thought of this game for all my current and aspiring arranger/transcriber/composer friends in this group. Drum corps is one of the easiest ensembles for amateurs to write for (no hate) so this is also a good gateway into composing if you know your stuff. I don't know squat about real music theory--never taken classes and rarely been taught any. I just have an affinity for it (and you can too!).

The idea is that you get some categories and you write a segment of a show based on those categories. Then everyone guesses what those restraints were and whoever gets it correct first gets to do the next round. Here's some comprehensive rules:

=THE RULES=

-Go to www.random.org and generate (this is called a "roll") a set of numbers (will elaborate if this carries through). That set of numbers dictates the following categories:1.) Time period (old school, Bb era, etc.)2.) Corps style (Bluecoats, Spirit, etc.)3.) Show section (closer, ballad, etc.)4.) Composer/Genre/Piece (Eric Whitacre, La Vie en Rose, etc.)5.) Strange twist (optional, just for fun)You pick THREE of the FIVE categories to follow. If you get a combination that reeaally doesn't work together or you get completely stumped what to write, you are allotted ONE re-roll of any category. This can only be done within the first 36 hours of the round (between 6:00PM (EST) Friday and 6:00AM (EST) Sunday). The remaining two categories you may choose to ignore or you can also do them for fun.

-THE SCORE MUST USE THE STOCK SOUNDFONT (FluidR3?). People won't want to find and download your special snowflake soundfont so they can listen. MuseScore is notation software, not specifically playback software. This will be a challenge in it of itself. You MAY write in Finale if you so choose; just know that it sounds very different with FluidR3. Also know that the conversion is more than just exporting/importing a compressed XML file.

-You have 7 full days, starting at 6:00PM (EST) on a Friday and ending at 5:59PM (EST) the next Friday. This includes writing time AND guessing time for the listeners. You can finish the piece in 4 hours or 6.5 days. The less time you take, the longer time they have to guess (and vice versa).

-When you are ready for the guessing to begin, title it whatever you'd like, upload it, and add it to the group. Start a discussion in this group announcing your completion: provide the title, link to the score, and the three categories you chose to accomplish. If you did more than three categories you still MUST choose THREE for the people to guess and reveal the extra one(s) you accomplished.

-Let the first person that guesses correctly know that they got it right by replying to them in the thread (make sure to keep an eye out on the thread so you don't miss it). Try and reply closest to 6:00PM (EST) on Friday as you can. Include their username, timestamp of when they guessed, and the results.

-Said person gets to do the next round. The following Friday at 6:00PM (EST) they will repeat this process. After you go, you are not allowed to guess the next round (to try and avoid two or three people going over and over).

-If no one correctly guesses, it defaults to the first person to guess at least two categories correctly. If none, first person to guess at least one category. If none, first person to guess at all. The show must go on.

-If there is a correct guess, the person who wrote the score may also submit at new "strange twist" to add to the list if they would like. If there was no correct guess, this rule does not apply.

-We would use the honor system heavily with this game. You cannot roll your numbers before Friday at 6:00PM (EST). You cannot "team up" and cheat so you can get the next round. You cannot collaborate. You cannot plagiarize. Use common sense. Be a nice, humble, self-accountable person :)

Notice I never said "winner" in this post. The goal is not a "winning" piece or to "be the winner" by spewing your knowledge everywhere. The goal is to have some fun writing, guessing, learning, and being a self-accountable and knowledgeable individual in the most humble way you can.

I am not an admin of this group so I don't know if I can even suggest this game. If you fans like this idea, let me know by replying. If the admin(s) of this page don't like it being here but I get lots of positive feedback I may start a separate group and enlist another admin or two to make sure it runs smoothly. I would love your replies and criticism as well :)